More Emergency Sirens Being Added on Big Island

The state is beefing up the system on Hawaii Island from its current 84 locations to 112, Magno told the council. Most sirens are currently near the coast, where hurricanes and tsunamis pose the greatest threat.

The wailing siren, which Hawaii hadn’t heard since the end of the Cold War, sounded for about a minute last week, following a routine test of a siren used to alert people about natural disasters such as a tsunami.

This month’s test generated more complaints than the usual test of the natural disaster siren, partly because of all the media attention leading up it.

“Everybody was listening for it this time,” Miyagi said. “Prior to this I would be lying to you if I said everybody stood at their homes … and listened acutely for the monthly tones.”

The agency is gathering reports from Hawaii’s counties, along with information from volunteers who listened, Miyagi said.